


...Are You Awake?

by Written_prose_things



Series: hundred prompts for thousands of pairings [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nightmares, canon-non-compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25586884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Written_prose_things/pseuds/Written_prose_things
Summary: Prompt 15: Stephen reveals his magic to Tony and tries to help him with his nightmares.
Relationships: Tony Stark/ Stephen Strange (pre-slash)
Series: hundred prompts for thousands of pairings [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816942
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	...Are You Awake?

When Tony rushes up to the roof of his tower at 2 in the morning, he doesn’t know what to expect. 

He’s been in the lab for the past four days, drinking coffee and taking cat naps. Each nap brings with it dreams of the clang of the shield against his armour, Ultron’s voice, Wanda’s nightmares. 

Tony’s coffee addled brain makes him expect his nightmares to manifest on his roof. But it isn’t Captain America, a rogue robot or crazy magic lady. 

It’s just Stephen Strange. They haven’t met in years, not after the doctor secluded himself and went to Nepal. 

His eyes are still the same as they were in school. Blue, lightning blue, the blue that shines out of Tony’s heart. 

“Anthony.” Strange nods at him.

Tony groans, “Will you ever get my name right.”

Strange smiles, “Only when you stop referring to me as Strange.”

Tony laughs, “No can do, mi amigo.”

Stephen looks out at the horizon, stars twinkle dimly, New York’s lights chasing them away.

Tony asks, “Stephen, what’s wrong?”

Stephen answers, “I have to confess something, but I need you to take me to the compound for this.”

Tony replies, “Stephen, can we do this later? I don’t know what the culture in Nepal is like, but here we don’t usually show up at two and make demands.”

Stephen nods, unfazed, “Very well. Is it okay if I stay here?”

Tony sighs, “Stephen-”

Stephen shakes his head, “I keep quiet. You can have J.A.R.V.I.S keep an eye on me.”

It hurts to hear that. Tony clears his throat, “You aren’t leaving until you tell me, are you?”

Stephen smiled softly, “No wonder you’re still my best friend.”

Tony rubs the sleep out of his eyes, “Right, so what are you going to show me? If it’s any less than 9 inches I’m not interested.”

Stephen grimaces, “Tony, please.”

Tony cackles, which Stephen ignores and adds, “I’d rather we were in a secure place.”

Tony nods and takes them to his secondary lab. 

He isn’t going to take anyone to his private lab now, that’s just for him, Pepper, Rhodey and the bots.

Tony climbs into the elevator, “F.R.I.D.A.Y take us down to the Lab II please.”

Stephen startles at the name and the feminine voice that responds. He wonders out loud, “....J.A.R.V.I.S?”

Tony shrugs, “Shit happens.”

They reach the lab, where Stephen takes them to the area which can handle the most damage. Tony’s questions get answered quickly when Stephen moves his hands around, wisps of powerful magic shit shifting around him. 

Before Tony knows it, he’s got his armour around himself. Stephen only uses his magic to shift around some beakers and their contents. The liquids inside floating in the air,  _ like magic _ . 

Because it is magic. 

Tony grabs the man in front of him by the lapels, “Why the fuck are you here? What do you want?”

Stephen pulls away, “I had to show this to you.”

Tony yells, “WHY?!” 

Stephen stands in front of him and shrugs. 

The nerve of the man- To shrug? Tony’s going to have nightmares about this. 

_ Stephen comes to him, but his face changes into Wanda’s. Her magic envelops him, the wisps of colourful power, grabbing onto his neck.  _ _   
_ _ Squeezing the air out of him. Choking him.  _ _   
_ _ Taking his breath, taking his life. Everything is dark now. He can’t see anything. Tony doesn’t know if he does want to see anything. Definitely not Wanda’s face as she kills him.  _

Tony vaguely hears Stephen’s voice. 

“Anthony! Anthony! Look at me, Tony. Breath with me.”

When Tony looks up, it’s to see a light endless void. White light stretching everywhere. 

He asks Stephen, “Where is this?”

“Somewhere to keep you calm.”

Tony puts his head between his knees again. Stephen asks, “Can I hold your hands?”

Tony stares at him, “To give me nightmares?”

“No to calm you down.”

Tony nods jerkily. Stephen holds out his hands. 

Tony grabs them. They’re from a lifetime ago. When playing alone in the jungle gym was considered a good day. 

When they held hands as the teacher read out a story to the class, a story they’d read the last weekend under their covers, by the light of a torch. 

Now Stephen’s hands are different. Tony supposes his are different as well. They don’t hold the softness of a child’s hand. Tony’s hands are calloused and rough, from handling his suit every day.    
Stephen’s hands have scars. Little raised lines running across his knuckles, joining at the base of his wrist, his palms are warm. 

Tony rubs his thumbs on his palms. Stephen holds his hands to his chest and breathes in deeply. 

Tony follows. After a while, he feels better. 

Stephen asks, “Want to go back?”

Tony nods, “Please.”

Tony feels like a hook in his stomach is dragging him at the speed of light. Inertia pushes him into Stephen’s chest. 

When he opens his eyes, he’s in his lab again. He pulls away from Stephen’s chest. Stephen holds onto his hands. 

Tony asks, “Why did you come here, Stephen? Tell me the truth.”

Stephen sighs, “I wanted to help.”

Tony shrugs, “You’re late, bestie. Everything is done. Finished. The rogues are gone, Ultron is done, the accords are done.”

Stephen shrugs, “Your nightmares aren’t gone.”

Tony snorts, “Stephen, they were never gone. You were the one who left.”

Stephen replies, irritation apparent in his response, “I couldn’t have done anything. I was 8 years old. What did you expect?”

“I expected that you would stay. The way I stayed. The way I fought mY FATHER!”  
Tony reels himself back, he hadn’t meant to scream. 

  
He tries again, “Steph I fought my dad for you. Couldn’t you have done the same? Couldn’t you have at least acknowledged me, when we met in business meetings and galas?  
We aren’t kids anymore. Holding my hand as we stare at the stars does nothing for me. We don’t even have stars here.”

Stephen ignores his outburst almost entirely, “We could have stars here.”

Tony laughs, “This is New York, Steph. We couldn’t even see the stars if the whole city lost its power.”

Stephen replies, “Can I show you?”

Tony hasn’t ever had good impulse control.

They’re back at the roof now. Stephen waves his arms around. Tony can’t help but cringe.

But then, he has to look up. The bright stars highlight Stephen’s clothes. The sky reminds Tony of the nights they spent in the playground, having jumped out of their dormitory in the night.

Tony lies down on the roof. Stephen lays down next to him. They hold each other’s hands again. 

Stephen’s hand is better than he remembers. It envelops his hand entirely. 

They lay in silence. Tony feels secure enough to go to sleep.

Stephen is breathing slowly next to him. 

Tony asks him softly, “...Are you awake?”

Stephen grumbles and nuzzles into Tony’s shoulders. 

Tony sighs. Everything isn’t okay yet. But with Stephen at his side, maybe, just maybe, everything might be okay again. 

Maybe it won’t be. But Tony is fine with that too, just as long as Stephen is with him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 16: "Excuse you?"


End file.
